Lipid Disorders

Lipid disorders are a group of medical conditions which refer to excessive levels of fatty substances in the bloodstream. These fatty substances include cholesterol and triglycerides. An excess of bad cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Types of Lipids

Lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood.

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol – HDL cholesterol is commonly known as good cholesterol. It removes excess cholesterol and may prevent cholesterol build up in the blood vessels and lower your risk of heart disease.

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol – LDL cholesterol is often called bad cholesterol. It can build up slowly in the inner walls of the arteries contributing to the formation of cholesterol plaques. Cholesterol plaques can block up arteries resulting in the hardening and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis).

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a form of fat from food; they are also made in the body from other sources of energy like carbohydrates. High levels can increase your risk of heart disease.

Causes & risk factors

Apart from genetic causes of lipid disorders, diet high in fats will also increase cholesterol. All fats and oil contain a mixture of saturated, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats in different proportions. Some foods contain more saturated fat than others. The type and amount of fat in your diet can affect your blood cholesterol level. It is important to limit your intake of ALL types of fats.

There are 4 types of fat in your diet.

Saturated fats (SFA)

These are found mainly in animal foods, like butter, ghee, lard, cream, fat on meat, milk fat and cheese. Vegetable fats like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil and cocoa butter are rich sources. Too much SFA raises total and LDL cholesterol.

Trans fats

These are formed during the hydrogenation of unsaturated oil a commercial process to harden oil for production of fats like shortening and hard margarine. Hydrogenation causes the oil to be more saturated. Too much trans fats raises blood cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA)

These are found mainly in nuts, grains and seeds such as sunflower, soya bean, corn and sesame. Some oily fish such as sardine, salmon, mackerel and herring also contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids, which makes blood clot less easily and reduces the risk of stroke. PUFA helps to lower blood cholesterol.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFA)

These are present in olive, canola, peanut and sesame oils, almonds and avocados. Studies have shown that MUFA can lower LDL-cholesterol and increase HDL-cholesterol.

Signs & symptoms

Lipid disorders are usually silent. They are usually picked up during screening or during routine blood tests for other medical conditions. Otherwise, they may only be diagnosed when the complications arise e.g. angina, heart attacks, and stroke.

Complications

When there is too much bad cholesterol in your blood, the excess cholesterol gets deposited in the walls of your blood vessels. These deposits cause narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels or atherosclerosis. This can lead to slowing down or blockage of the flow of blood, resulting in

angina (chest pain) and heart attacks

stroke

peripheral artery disease (narrowing of the blood vessels of the limbs).

Lowering of abnormal LDL cholesterol level is most important in the prevention of the above diseases.

Self-care

Generally, control your body fat percentage to below 22% for men* and 30% for women*. Reducing your body fat percentage will help to lower your total and LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride level.